Friday, September 18, 2009

my maternal grandfather just passed away :-(

Mom just got word that my maternal grandfather Ching-Shang Yang has died. He was 98 years old. I'm not going to lie - 2009 hasn't been a good year. :\

The details are unclear, but early reports are pointing to gastrointestinal bleeding as the cause of death. Given Grandpa's age, this was surprising but not completely unexpected. The only consolation is that he probably didn't suffer too much.

Ching-Shang was the oldest of my grandparents and the last surviving one. Our dreams that he would become a centenarian will never be realized. On the bright side, I believe he has been reunited with my grandmother Pi-Tan and uncle Harrison in Heaven. Though Grandpa may no longer be with us in person, he'll remain in our hearts forever.

To those who have offered support during this difficult time, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Currently listening to: "Shine Your Light" by Robbie Robertson

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Labor Day weekend party report

The weekend has been pretty good so far as we had people over last night for an early Labor Day celebration. This was our first party in a while!

Dad was on a business trip and didn't get home until right before the guests arrived. Therefore, Mom and I did most of the work in cleaning up the house and setting up the table. Believe it or not, hosting a party isn't all fun and games. However, our efforts paid off because everyone had a great time.

The guests were the Lus, the Lees and our family friend Karen. Though Eddie and my cousins had other plans and didn't come, things couldn't have been better. The table was full of food as this was a potluck dinner. Because Karen is a lawyer, there were also the usual jokes. Haha.

Mei knew I recently finished my undergraduate studies at Berkeley and gave me a Swarovski crystal set with a graduation theme. Her generosity is truly appreciated. The set is quite beautiful and can be seen here.

The kids and I watched the 3:10 to Yuma remake after dinner while our parents chatted at the table. I later played cards with Thomas, Connie and Jenny instead as the movie wasn't that good. Though Tropic Thunder may have been a better choice, Thomas and Connie had seen it before. I also showed off my new 200 mW green laser. People definitely thought it was cool. :-)

The girls later played Text Twist while Thomas and I came up with words. This was another highlight of the evening. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end: our friends had to leave as it was getting late.

The not-so-fun part is that my laptop got infected with malware while Connie and Jenny were using it to browse the web. Before anyone asks, this wasn't their fault. The virus was relatively easy to remove, but the whole situation was a pain in the ass. Fuck the jerks who write these things.

On the whole, the party totally rocked. This was actually our first time having people over during the Labor Day weekend. It seems I now have a new favorite holiday!

Currently watching: 3:10 to Yuma (2007)